In light of recent events involving the spirit of hockey... or lack there of, I cannot decide how I feel. I have been a die hard Canucks fan since I can remember. I was born in May of 1994, smack in the middle of the 1994 Stanley Cup play-offs, so I guess you could say I have been watching hockey since I left the womb... literally.
Naturally, like probably 80-90% of British Columbians, I was plopped in front of the TV watching game 7 of the final round of the Stanley Cup play-offs between my beloved Canucks and the Boston Bruins. I am not one to call down the other team. I believe that both teams worked just as hard to get to where they are. Though I was disappointed with the outcome of game 7, the Bruins worked very hard and totally deserved the cup. Just take their goalie, Tim Thomas, for instance. That guy is a beast! I mean a shut out in game 7? That just goes to show a small part of the determination that team is made up of. I firmly believe that if the Canucks didn't get The Cup, The Bruins deserved it just as much.
But enough about the game. Nobody seems to be focusing on that much anyways. Everyone is more interested in the riot that followed the game 7 lose to the Bruins. Almost immediately after the game every news channel was plagued with frightening footage of the complete mayhem that had taken over downtown Vancouver. I was immediately sick to my stomach. As I flipped between CBC and CTV I couldn't help but wonder how such hatred and rage could be going on just outside a building where a joyous celebration was happening. Eventually I couldn't help but stay on CTV to watch the antics that were taking over. Images of torched, over-turned cars, broken windows, and hundreds of disgruntle people flooded the channel. I was on the verge of tears! It was so hard to watch! How can people be so selfish? Canadians of all people! We are stereotyped to be such nice people, and I like to think we live up to that stereotype, but the riot that is now being broad casted all over the world has tainted the world's opinion of us. We are now know as spoiled brats that throw major tantrums when we don't get out way.
In the past couple of days I have watched people's reactions to the riots and I am glad to see there are people just as upset as I am over this matter. I have come to the conclusion that the people involved in the riots weren't Canucks fans at all, they were just people that wanted to do some damage. They didn't do it out of rage and disappointment, they did it out of stupidity. They just wanted to do some damage! As I saw some of the people pulling on balaclavas and pulling out base ball bats and signs reading Riot 2011, I came to the conclusion that this had all been planned. People had prepared themselves for this. Call me a crazy conspirator but last time I checked you don't bring balaclavas to a hockey game in June, and where and when exactly were you planning on playing baseball on a crowded street?
The true fans are the ones that are cleaning up beautiful Vancouver. They are the ones writing encouraging messages on the plywood that take the place of smashed windows. They are the ones that are working with the police to identify rioters to bring them to justice True fans are the ones that want to re-paint the world's perspective of us as it should rightfully be, The Most Beautiful Place on Earth.
Hi, my name is Cheyenne, and I live in The Most Beautiful Place on Earth, British Columbia.
